l. Field of the Invention
This application relates to boat hatch wind scoop systems. More particularly, it concerns wind scoops for ventilating below deck space of a boat through a hatch while preventing water from entering through the hatchway.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ventilation of the below deck space of sailboats, power boats and like marine craft is essential to the comfort of passengers, preservation of stores, prevention of mildew, etc. Larger craft frequently are provided with air conditioning equipment, but smaller craft and even larger sailboats do not enjoy this luxury. Hence, many marine craft must depend on more basic, passive ventilation devices, e.g., dorade boxes, scoop ventilators, hinged hatches, etc.
Many boats with below deck space possess one or more hinged closure hatches opening through the deck and a number of ventilator devices have been devised for deflecting or otherwise facilitating flow of air below deck through such hatches, e.g., see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,434,740; 4,706,593; 4,759,271; 4,938,123 and 5,022,339. The present invention provides further improved marine craft ventilation systems of this general type.